Places in India where prostitution is the main source of income

Although India is one of the fastest growing developing country today, but still, there are some dark corners in this country, that are lagging behind, with the present time.

They are alienated from the modern world and the lack of education is one of the prime reason for that.

It is hard to believe, that in the present scenario, India habituates some places where girls of the families are forced into prostitution, even before they reach puberty.

Prostitution is a profession that has been into existence since ages. If we turn the pages of history, then, it will become evident that many courtesans used to be the muses of the erstwhile kings.

But, with the passage of time, this profession has undergone a lot of transformation. In some parts of India, prostitution is still considered as a main source of family income, in the guise of superstitious social traditions.

Most of the women, who chose this profession, willingly or forcibly, either hail from poor economic and financial background or they are dragged into this profession due to age-old traditions, to support the livelihood.

Let's take a look at four places in India, where this dark profession is practiced as an open secret, and families feel no shame in telling that their daughters, sisters are into this profession.

Natpurwa village, Uttar Pradesh

This is the village in Hardoi district of eastern Uttar Pradesh, 70 kms from Lucknow, where Nat caste dominates. Strangely, in this village, children are not aware about the name of their fathers and they live with their mothers. They have no surnames.

Shockingly, this bizarre norm exists since last 400 years. Around 5,000 people live in this village. More than 70 percent women of this village are into flesh trade.

Over the years, women from this village have migrated to cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata and some have even shifted to Dubai.

Bachara tribe, Madhya Pradesh

Bachara is a tribal matriarchal community in the western part of Madhya Pradesh and women here are said to be the descendants of royal courtesans.

Here, girls are forced into prostitution by their own fathers and brothers. The responsibility of making both ends meet is in the hands of the eldest daughter of the family. Most of such families have a dedicated room in their houses to continue this dreaded profession.

Wadia village, Gujarat

Known as "village of sex workers," Wadia village in in Tharad taluka in Banaskantha district of north Gujarat, close to Rajasthan border, is famous for flesh trade on an enormous scale, since over last 80 years. Here, men search for customers for the women of their families and also negotiate the rates between Rs 500 to Rs 10,000.

The small village is inhabited by a nomadic tribe called Saraniyas, where girls are groomed to become prostitutes at an early age and boys are trained to become pimps to find clients for them.

However, nearby villages are against this tradition. Several education drives could not change the mindset of these people.

Devadasis in Karnataka

In the Devadasis belt, in Bellary and Koppal districts of Karnataka, the virginity of girls is auctioned off among the upper caste people. After this, girls spend rest of their lives as prostitutes, while earning for their families.

The Devadasis community worships Hindu Goddess Yelamma. Devadasis literally means 'slave of God'.

According to the beliefs followed here, girls are married to the Goddess Yelamma, after which they dedicate their lives in the name of religion.

Besides Karnataka, the Devadasi system continues in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. IN 1982, devadasi system was outlawed, but it is still widely practiced.

Other prominent areas, where prostitution is a widely accepted profession are: Sonagachi, red light area in Kolkata, Kamathipura in Mumbai, Budhwar Peth in Pune, Itwari in Nagpur, Ganga Jamuna in Nagpur, Meergunj in Allahabad, Shivdaspur in Varanasi, Chaturbhujsthan in Muzaffarpur and GB Road in Delhi.